DOTC unit endorses MPIC-Ayala tandem for LRT 1 Ext project

MANILA, Philippines - The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has recommended the award of the P65-billion Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT1) Cavite Extension project to lone bidder Light Rail Manila Consortium.

Michael Arthur Sagcal, DOTC spokesperson, said the agency’s BAC met yesterday morning and approved the bid submitted by the Light Rail Manila Consortium. “The BAC met and resolved to recommend the award of the project to the Light Rail Manila Consortium,” Sagcal said.

The lead member of the group is MPIC Light Rail Corp. with 55 percent while other members include Ayala’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. with 35 percent and Macquaire Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. with 10 percent.

LRTA administrator Honorio Chaneco said in a text message that the LRTA Board headed by Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya would meet tomorrow to approve the bid of the Light Rail Manila Consortium based on the recommendation of the DOTC’s BAC.

The group offered a premium payment of P9.35 billion to undertake the project.

The Cavite Extension project would increase the span of Line 1 from 20.7 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers with a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor, Cavite. The extension would open up the Line 1 services to the nearly four million residents of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and the Province of Cavite.